Almost gave up around page 35 until I saw it had won the Newbery. Now I feel like I have to finish it.
Some of my issues with this book might be my own personal bias--in general, I can't handle dialect. The meanness of the Boyers and the Slaters really bothered me. I do not expect all children's books to be sweetness and light (and want kids to be challenged), but I don't think I would share this book with a child.
And of course, the whole time, I was slightly creeped out because the illustrations look so much like Betsy-Tacy and it's definitely not a BT book!
Glad to know a bit more about Lois Lenski's career, but I probably won't seek out her other novels.